Vehicle Safety

ABSTRACT

A vehicle with a pod separable from a chassis therein, and when a collision detection system detects a collision or an imminent collision, the system will issue a signal to cause an electro-mechanical locking system to detach the pod, and further, to inflate airbags surrounding the pod.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to protecting a vehicle, and particularly, to a vehicle with a pod separable from a chassis therein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Vehicles with their individual chassis separable from a pod therein are proposed by different automobile manufacturers in the recent years.

Conventionally, passengers in a vehicle are protected by airbags in a collision, however, serious injuries are still unavoidable.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a better protection to drivers and/or passengers, by protecting a pod which is used for carrying a driver and/or passengers, and will be separated from a chassis of a vehicle, in an accident.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a symbolic diagram of an exemplified vehicle with a pod separable from a chassis therein.

FIG. 2 is a symbolic diagram of an exemplified vehicle with a pod separated from a chassis therein, and airbags disposed beneath the pod are inflated.

FIG. 3 is a symbolic diagram of a chassis of an exemplified vehicle, with a support plane 17 for raising up a pod thereon.

FIG. 4 is a symbolic diagram of an exemplified vehicle with a pod separable from a chassis therein, viewed from above.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

According to the first embodiment of the present invention and referring to FIG. 1, in an exemplified vehicle, a pod is detachably secured to a chassis by an attachment device which may be a multi-point electro-mechanical locking system, and when a collision detection system detects or anticipates a collision, it will issue a signal, to firstly cause the attachment device to detach the pod from the chassis, as well as a collision detection signal, as will be discussed herein below in details.

The collision detection system can use any of a variety of technologies including but not limited to a shock/impact sensor, camera, a LiDAR system, infra-red sensor system, radar system (including but not limited to millimeter wave radar, noise radar, micro-power impulse radar, and ultra wideband radar), acoustical system, artificial intelligence system or a combination of these, and may include a crash anticipatory unit such as the one as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,041,483.

As shown in FIG. 1, the pod is in a form of a trapezium or trapezoid or U-shaped male wedge inserted into the chassis.

And, referring to FIG. 2, airbags 3 and 4 are disposed on the pod and the chassis respectively, and therefore, the airbags 3 will move with the pod and continue to protect the pod, in a collision. Both airbags 3 and 4, when inflated, will respectively occupy a space below the pod and above the chassis bottom, and therefore, airbags 3 and 4 can be used to raise the pod up, separately or collectively, if the pod is detached from the chassis and not being moved away from the chassis.

If the collision detection system detects/anticipates is a front, head-on or forward collision, or back or rear-end collision, it will issue a collision detection signal, says, first collision detection signal, for inflating airbags 3 and 4.

On the other hand, it will issue a second collision detection signal for inflating airbags 3 only, and airbags 4 is not inflated, if the collision detected/anticipated is a side impact.

Note that other conventional cushion devices may be used instead of airbags 3 and/or 4.

When inflated, airbags 3 and 4 should desirably but not necessarily altogether raise the pod up to a level above the chassis, to avoid the pod from crashing against the chassis if it is caused to be moved forward or backward (that is, longitudinal direction), by the detected/anticipated impact directly or indirectly which is frontal or from the back, and this depends very much on the inclination of the side 1 or side 2 of the chassis, both of which enclose the front and rear of the pod, and a smaller inclination can better facilitate the pod's upward movement and thereby, preventing the crash, refers to FIGS. 1 and 2.

However, the inflation of the airbags 4 would be unnecessary when a side impact occurs/is to occur, because this simply means the pod will be unnecessarily dropped from a higher level to ground. The reason is that the pod can be moved away from the chassis by the side impact, in directions 13 or 14, without being raised up by airbags 4, as the chassis have no side wall there to enclose the two sides (sides 15, 16) of the pod and prevent the movement, see FIG. 4.

As to airbags 3, they are used for reducing any possible frictions between the pod and the chassis and facilitating the pod to be moved in any directions in related to the chassis, before the pod is completely moved out of the chassis, as well as for, absorbing shock when the pod hits ground.

As an alternative, either the head or tail of the chassis, is flush with or substantially flush with the chassis bottom, and therefore, would not prevent movement of the pod when its airbag 3 is inflated to facilitate movement. The above-mentioned usage of airbags 4 is still advantageous for facilitating the pod to be moved toward and above the non-flush part of the vehicle which is the tail or head correspondingly, and which is higher than the chassis bottom. Referring to FIG. 1 for a better understanding of the positions of chassis head and tail, note that both are non-flush.

And, the collision detection system will issue a first collision detection signal for inflating airbags 3 and 4, if the impact detected/anticipated would force the pod to move towards the non-flush part, and will issue a second detection collision signal for inflating airbags 3 only, if the impact detected/anticipated would force the pod to move towards the flush part.

According to the second embodiment and referring to FIG. 3, a vertically movable support plane 17 is provided, and it lays flat on the chassis bottom, when no accident, to allow the pod resting on it be detachably secured to the chassis. The first collision detection signal will cause mechanical or hydraulic or pressurized fluid device(s) (not shown in FIG. 3), or the like, to extend the telescopic driving devices 18, thereby moving the support plane 17 upward, for facilitating the above-mentioned movement of the pod towards the non-flush part.

In the first and second embodiments, airbags 4 and/or support plane 17 and/or telescopic driving devices 18 may itself/themselves, or with additional reinforcing material and/or structure, be capable of acting as an impact resisting and/or absorbing device to minimize/prevent intrusion by an external object into the vehicle. And, if a side impact on the vehicle is detected/anticipated by the collision detection system, it will issue a collision detection signal, says, third collision detection signal, to cause airbags 4 be inflated, or the mechanical or hydraulic or fluid pressurizing device(s) to extend the telescopic driving devices 18, so as to raising up the side of the support plane 17 facing the side impact.

The telescopic driving devices 18 at the other side not facing the side impact may or may not be caused by the third collision detection signal to be extended to the same extent, and if not extended or extended by a comparatively small extent, the support plane 17 will be tilted in such a way that it will facilitate or cause the pod to slip in a direction far from the side impact.

If support plane 17 is to be tilted, the third collision detection signal will contain information indicative of which side (side 15 or side 16, refer to FIG. 4) of the support plane 17 is/will be impacted or should be raised up, and for causing the telescopic driving devices 18 at the side as indicated be extended, and telescopic driving devices 18 at the other side not extended or extended by a comparatively small extent.

Note that the collision detection system may use a tilt sensor, for e.g., a pendulum or MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems) type, to detect the degree of tilting of the vehicle, which may be caused by the accident, or by the unevenness of the lane on which the vehicle is using, and basing on the tilting detected, the collision detection system will include an adjustment information into the third collision detection signal, so as to cause telescopic driving devices 18 to introduce a corresponding compensational adjustment on the tilting of support plane 17.

Desirably, a pressure sensor may be disposed on support plane 17 to detect if the pod is moved completely out of support plane 17, and if it is, the pressure sensor will issue a signal to the collision detection system which in response, will cause telescopic driving devices 18 at the other side be extended equally to the side facing impact, so that support plane 17 is no longer tilted. But if support plane 17 is not raised up, is not tilted, or is raised up to a comparatively little extent (caused by the first collision detection signal, to facilitate the pod's longitudinal movement), then it will be raised up, or further raised up, without tilting.

As a result, support plane 17 and telescopic driving devices 18 can both occupy or at least better occupy the empty space created when the pod is moved away from the chassis and thus, preventing intrusion of external object, says, a vehicle, into the chassis.

Any traditional techniques for elevating and tilting a platform, can be applied in support plane 17 and telescopic driving devices 18, and U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,085,670 and 5,400,720 are incorporated herein by reference, they provide illustrative, non-limiting examples. The former patent discloses a universally tiltable platform system which is built by stacking a number of uni-directional tiltable platforms, whereas the latter patent discloses a scissor lift mechanism for uplifting a tiltable table.

According to a third embodiment and referring to FIG. 4, for simplicity and by way of example, the exemplified vehicle has no airbags 3, 4, support plane 17, or telescopic driving devices 18. The pod is connected with the chassis with chains (alternatively, steel cable or the like) 5, 6, 7, 8, and they are for moving the pod, when the pod is detached from the chassis in the above-mentioned manner.

Each chain has one end respectively attached to a different corner, says, corner A, or to a position close to corner A, of the pod, and the other end of each chain is respectively attached to a different anchor installed on the chassis, and the anchor is close to a corner of the pod, which is adjacent to corner A. And, each chain will cause the pod to move in a direction towards the anchor it attached, if retracted.

When the collision detection system detects/anticipates a side impact, on side 15 or 16, it will issue respectively corresponding signals to cause an electro-mechanical device to retract both chains 5 and 7, or both chains 6 and 8 correspondingly, as well as to cause another electro-mechanical device to release/cut off both chains 6 and 8, or both chains 5 and 7 correspondingly, thereby, causing the pod to move in direction 13 or 14 correspondingly.

Alternatively, other conventional driving mechanism may be used to move the pod in direction 13 or 14.

Further, when the pod is moved completely or substantially out of the chassis, the electro-mechanical device may completely release or cut off the retracted chains, so that the chains will not hinder the movement of the pod relative to the chassis, when the pod or the chassis is hit by, or itself hits, an external object, etc.

Note that the third embodiment may be combined with any of the above and below embodiments/examples/modifications/alternatives or a combination thereof. For example, airbags 3 may be included in the third embodiment and be inflated instantaneously, gradually or progressively, before or when the pod is caused to move out of the chassis.

In one particular implementation, servo motors with capability of providing rotor movement information are used, and by rotating their rotors to which the chains are connected respectively thereto, both chains 5, 7, or both chains 6, 8 can be retracted, for causing the pod to move in direction 13 or 14 correspondingly, and basing on the rotor movement information, the collision detection system can determine or continuously determine, before the pod is dropped from the chassis bottom and hits ground, which part of the pod has been moved out of the chassis, and accordingly, causing the airbags 3 disposed on the bottom of the moved-out part which may not be inflated at all, or partially/partly inflated, to be all inflated to their full extent, or full operational extent, to occupy a space below the bottom of the moved-out part. Other traditional method may be alternatively used for determining the position of the pod relative to the chassis.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,773,820 is incorporated herein by reference, it provides illustrative, non-limiting examples of rotor/shaft angular position sensors. Notes that such sensors can provide rotor movement information, even if it is caused by movement of the pod by an external impact, as this movement, depending on its direction 13 or 14, will further respectively pull the corresponding above-mentioned both chains 6,8, or both chains 5,7. Specifically, when each chain is pulled at its one end connected to and by the pod, a portion of it at the other end which being coiled around a rotor of a corresponding servo motor disposed at the chassis, which acts as an anchor in FIG. 4, will be uncoiled gradually and causing the rotor to be rotated. And, airbags 3 may also caused to be inflated in the above-mentioned manner, by using position of the pod relative to the chassis, obtained from the rotor movement information generated by this rotation.

Note that the airbags in this invention may borrow the technologies used in conventional vehicle airbags for reducing impact in accidents.

And, U.S. Pat. No. 7,591,481 is also incorporated herein by reference, it provides illustrative, non-limiting examples of flow control mechanisms of pressurized fluid, usable in the present invention for selectively and gradually inflating the airbags 3 and/or 4.

As a modification of any of the above and below embodiments/examples/modifications/alternatives or a combination thereof, before causing the pod to move in direction 13 or 14, or longitudinally, or any movement, the collision detection system determines if the movement will lead to less loss of lives, injuries, damages to properties, etc., which may be owing to the detected/anticipated impact directly or indirectly on the pod, or any possible impact by the moved pod to a pedestrian or by another vehicle to the moved pod, etc., when the pod is moved partly or wholly on a vehicle lane or pedestrian path which may be adjacent to the lane used by the vehicle to which the pod pertains, or in the vicinity thereof. If not, it will cause no movement. And therefore, the collision detection system is capable of detecting and identifying objects on the adjacent path, lane, nearby areas, or the like, and may include conventional lane change assist and/or autonomous driving techniques.

As a modification of any of the above and below embodiments/examples/modifications/alternatives or a combination thereof, the collision detection system may cause the pod to move in direction 13 or 14, even when the detected/anticipated impact is not a side impact, but is frontal or from the back or the like, if it determines that such a movement will lead to less loss of lives and/or property damages, etc. Otherwise, no movement.

As a modification of any of the above and below embodiments/examples/modifications/alternatives or a combination thereof, the driving mechanism basing on chain retractions as disclosed in the third embodiment for moving the pod in lateral directions (directions 13 and 14 as indicated in FIG. 4), or a conventional driving mechanism, is also applied/adapted to move the pod in the longitudinal directions (forward or backward direction).

The collision detection system will cause the pod to move laterally or longitudinally, or plane movement, or any combination thereof, and to an extent, such as, partly or wholly out of the chassis, if it determines in the above-mentioned manner that such a movement will lead to less loss of lives and/or property damages, etc. Otherwise, no movement.

On the other hand, the collision detection system will cause support plane 17 be raised up and/or tilted, and/or airbags 3, 4 be inflated, for achieving the above-mentioned purposes, such as, preventing intrusion of an external object into the chassis. But this should not be done if will cause adverse effect on a movement of the pod, intended or expected by the collision detection system, if any.

As an alternative, the above-mentioned automatic longitudinal direction and/or the lateral direction movement of the pod, is also controllable, or can be caused to happen or disabled by respective human commands received by the collision detection system.

As a modification of any of the above and below embodiments/examples/modifications/alternatives or a combination thereof,

after the pod is partly or wholly moved, laterally and/or longitudinally and/or in plane movement, or any combination thereof, out of the chassis and leaving a space originally occupied when no accident, become empty, the collision detection system determines the space so left, by using the above-mentioned technique for determination of pod position relative to the chassis, or by using the above-mentioned pressure sensor to detect if the pod is moved completely out of support plane 17, then directly or indirectly, and in the above-mentioned manner, causes the above-mentioned airbags 4 and/or support plane 17 and/or telescopic driving devices 18 and/or cushion devices and/or impact resisting/absorbing devices and/or intrusion prevention devices to be inflated/extended/placed in a position such that they can provide/better provide their respective protection functions, and to occupy partly or wholly of the space left.

Note that in the above embodiments, the collision detection system may be installed in the chassis or the pod itself.

And in one implementation, telescopic driving devices 18 may be disposed on side 1 and/or side 2 and/or chassis bottom (refer to FIG. 1), so as to push impact resisting/absorbing devices and/or intrusion prevention devices, which may be extendable/movable rigid structure, from different directions and positions. Also, conventional locking mechanisms should preferably be disposed on telescopic driving devices 18 and/or the extendable/movable rigid structures to lock them and prevent them from retracting/moving back, once they are moved/extended into the space left by the pod. Note that each telescopic driving device 18 may itself be an extendable rigid structure as well as an impact resisting/absorbing device.

Further, U.S. Pat. No. 6,601,719 is also incorporated herein by reference, it provides illustrative, non-limiting examples of a telescoping boom assembly with a locking and latching system.

As an alternative, telescopic driving devices 18 may be under internal pressure by pressurized fluid (or by spring action), and therefore whenever the pod is moved away and no matter in any direction and as long as it leaves a space, the telescopic driving devices 18 below the space will automatically be extended upward by the pressurized fluid to occupy at least a part of the space. In this alternative, the collision detection system does not detect pod position, instead when it detects or anticipates a collision, it will issue a signal to cause a fluid pressurizing device to supply pressurized fluid to telescopic driving devices 18.

As another alternative, support plane 17 is replaced by a planar or substantial planar truss (alternatively, frame structure), and interconnected with telescopic driving devices 18, and even though the pod may not be able to slide on it, raising up the truss would still prevent intrusion by an external object into the chassis.

It should be noted that the above embodiments/examples/modifications/alternatives are given by way of examples only, and it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. 

1: An apparatus for use in a vehicle, said vehicle has a carrier which is for carrying at least one person, and said carrier is laid on a supporting base of the rest part of said vehicle, and is detachably secured to said rest part, comprising: means for detecting a collision or an imminent collision involving said vehicle, and for providing first information including second information related to an impact from which said vehicle is or will be suffered; means for detaching said carrier from said rest part, if said collision or imminent collision is detected by said means for detecting; means for moving said carrier on said rest part; wherein said means for moving is capable of moving said carrier in one or more than one directions, and to different extents, including, moving said carrier partly or wholly out of said rest part, depending on said first information directly or indirectly. 2: An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said rest part includes a chassis and more than one operational wheel of said vehicle. 3: An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said means for moving includes means for raising up said supporting base. 4: An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein further comprising: means for assessing losses of lives and/or property damages would be resulted, basing on said first information which further including—information obtained from environment, if said carrier is to be moved, or not to be moved, by said means for moving, and accordingly, determining a direction and an extent for moving said carrier, if this will result in a possible reduction of losses of lives and/or property damages; wherein said means for moving moves said carrier, in according to said determination. 5-7. (canceled) 8: An apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein further comprising sensor means for determining if said carrier is moved completely out of said supporting base, if it is, then causing said means for raising to raise up said supporting base with no lateral tilting. 9: An apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein further comprising sensor means for detecting tilting of said vehicle, and causing a corresponding compensational tilting adjustment to said carrier by use of said means for raising. 10: An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said supporting base is planar or substantial planar, and may be a truss, or a frame structure, or a platform. 11: An apparatus for use in a vehicle, said vehicle has a carrier which is for carrying at least one person, and said carrier is laid on a supporting base of the rest part of said vehicle, and is detachably secured to said rest part, and further, said rest part has at least one non-flush part which is higher than said supporting base, comprising: means for detecting a collision or an imminent collision involving said vehicle, and for providing first information including second information related to an impact from which said vehicle is or will be suffered; means for detaching said carrier from said rest part, and for inflating at least one cushion device disposed on said carrier, if said collision or imminent collision is detected by said means for detecting; means for extending at least one extendable device disposed on said supporting base, if said first information indicating said carrier will or may be caused to move towards said non-flush part, but not in a direction to somewhere else; wherein said at least one cushion device will occupy a space below said carrier when inflated and said at least one extendable device will occupy a space above said supporting base when extended; wherein said rest part includes more than one operational wheel of said vehicle. 12: An apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein said rest part has at least one flush part with an upper surface at a level same or substantially same as said supporting base, and said somewhere else including said at least one flush part, and said means for extending will not extend said at least one extendable device, if said first information indicating said carrier will/may be caused to move towards said flush part. 13: An apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein said at least one non-flush part including a head part and/or a tail part of said rest part. 14: An apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein further comprising means for moving said carrier on said rest part; wherein said means for moving is capable of moving said carrier in one or more than one directions, and to different extents, including, moving said carrier partly or wholly out of said rest part, depending on said first information directly or indirectly. 15: An apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein said rest part includes a chassis of said vehicle; wherein said at least one cushion device and/or said at least one extendable device may or may not be airbag(s). 16: An apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein further comprising: means for determining a part of said carrier which is being moved out of said rest part of said vehicle; means for inflating at least one of said at least one cushion device which will occupy a space below said part of said carrier when inflated, to full extent or full operational extent; wherein said at least one of at least one cushion device is not inflated at all, or only partially or partly inflated, before said part of said carrier being moved out of said rest part of said vehicle; wherein said movement of said carrier is caused by a means for moving and/or an external impact, directly or indirectly. 17: An apparatus for use in a vehicle, said vehicle has a carrier which is for carrying at least one person, and said carrier is laid on the rest part of said vehicle, and is detachably secured to said rest part, comprising: means for detecting a collision or an imminent collision involving said vehicle; means for detaching said carrier from said rest part, if said collision or imminent collision is detected by said means for detecting, to allow said carrier to be moved relative to said rest part; protection means for causing an impact resisting/absorbing device, and/or a device for preventing entry of an external object into said rest part, to occupy a space provided by said movement of said carrier, partly or entirely; wherein said rest part includes more than one operational wheel of said vehicle. 18: An apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein said protection means comprising first means for detecting if said carrier is completely being moved out of said rest part, and/or second means for determining position of said carrier relative to said rest part; wherein basing on the results of said first means and/or said second means, said protection means determines position of said space. 19: An apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein said carrier is laid on a supporting base of said rest part of said vehicle; wherein said impact resisting/absorbing device, and/or said device for preventing entry of an external object, including means for raising up said supporting base. 20: An apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein said protection means comprising means operating under an internal pressure for automatically pushing said impact resisting/absorbing device, and/or device for preventing entry of an external object into said rest part, into said space, and to occupy at least a part of said space. 21: An apparatus as claimed in claim 20, wherein said protection means also being for causing a pressurizing means for creating said internal pressure, if said collision or imminent collision is detected by said means for detecting. 22: An apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein said movement of said carrier is caused by a means for moving and/or an external impact, directly or indirectly, and said rest part includes a chassis of said vehicle. 